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The Flame Tree Pop Blog

Lady Gaga Pictures: X Factor Performance

Posted by Emma Chafer

Lady Gaga, The X FactorDid you see Lady Gaga perform on The X Factor on Sunday night? The megastar took to the stage to give her first performance of second single ‘Venus’, which is taken from her highly anticipated third studio album ARTPOP

Venus: Goddess of Gaga

The stage is set, there's smoke rolling around the studio, the lights are dimmed to a spotlight and Lady Gaga begins her new single ‘Venus’. She's seated on a chair, not really wearing very much... She's holding a guitar (which looks like it covers her modesty) surrounded by female dancers who are dressed in nude body suits. From the moment she begins to sing it is clear why she has sold over 90 million records. Her sultry tones, coupled with her undeniable passion for music and performing, are evidence enough why Gaga is the Lady.

 

Comeback Queen

Since she was forced to cancel her Born This Way tour in 2012 due to undergoing hip surgery, Gaga has made a spectacular comeback in 2013. Her first single ‘Applause’ wowed audiences and critics alike, and a set-list of new songs from ARTPOP performed at this year’s iTunes festival shows that Gaga is embracing a different look.

With a side of Gaga quirkiness, she has embodied everything associated with Venus, goddess of love, and this performance is no different. Her long blonde hair flows like any goddess’ should whilst she strums out chords on her acoustic guitar.

And as she stands she reveals she is indeed wearing something – a bikini top fashioned from two shells – good job she ditched the guitar and started doing some dancing otherwise Gaga could have caught a chill!

What Does Gaga Want?

Then just when we thought Gaga couldn’t give us any more, the music to ‘Do What U Want’ (another song from ARTPOP) starts up again. This time Gaga doesn’t want to float around the stage, doing some choreographed dance moves in a blonde wig. Oh no! Gaga rips off the first wig to reveal a much shorter darker cropped hair style, before diving onto the floor writhing around in nothing more than a skin coloured bikini among scattered rose petals.

Lady Gaga, The X Factor

There are now lasers, making the stage look a lot harsher and grittier than her performance of ten seconds previously. Gaga’s on-stage transformation from goddess of love to a woman of strength is typical Gaga, wanting to give her fans twice as much for their money! A quick stint on the piano follows. But not content with just sitting at the piano tinkling the keys, she jumps on top of her instrument, twisting and turning, stomping her feet... 

Gaga Shares The Love

Lady Gaga, Sharon OsbourneThe X Factor audience are going Gaga (sorry couldn’t resist!), and the four judges are on their feet too, but the surprises don’t stop there. Gaga runs over to the judges and hugs Sharon Osbourne, who has been rumoured to have had a long running feud with the artist. Gaga declares to the world that her and Sharon no longer have any ‘beef’ – probably because it’s all on Gaga’s infamous meat dress.

Phew! If that performance with those powerful vocals and what is soon to be an iconic shell bikini wasn’t enough, a live reconciliation between two of show business' biggest stars has left me gobsmacked! I don’t know how they’ll beat that next week – do you?

Links

  • Check out Lady Gaga's X Factor performance here

  • Want to know all the latest Lady Gaga news? Then head to her official website here

  • For all the latest celebrity news and pop gossip then follow @FlameTreePop here

Taylor Swift boyfriends, celebrity news and gossip, flame tree pop

Topics: Flame Tree Pop, Venus, Sharon Osbourne, Pop Music, The X Factor

Three Easy Steps to One Direction World Domination

Posted by Emma Chafer

One Direction 1 resized 600

One Direction make world domination look so easy! Next week I’m going on holiday to Canada to visit my relatives. I’ve asked my cousins if I could bring them anything, perhaps a selection of British teas, or some decent chocolate as I’ve heard theirs is awful, maybe even Royal Family paraphernalia complete with photo of adorable Prince George? No, they don't want any of that. What they desperately want to get their hands on are our shiny One Direction books.

Mind Blowing

Yes I know One Direction are totally famous and yes they’re hot (I myself have a topless shot of Louis pinned up above my desk), but I couldn’t believe that this is what my Canadian relatives now think of when they think of Britain! How, in just over three years, have these five normal lads achieved levels of world domination comparable only to The Beatles? Here's my theory...

Step One: Be Humble and Cute!

When Niall, Zayn, Liam, Louis and Harry auditioned separately for The X Factor in 2010 they hadn’t heard of each other let alone the name One Direction, and nor would they have guessed just how many screaming fans they would acquire (it turns out to be a lot!). But the boys delivered faultless performances, wowing the judges with their sharp vocals. Although the boys didn’t win, they came third and received the exposure needed to establish a fan base and nab a record deal via mentor Simon Cowell.

Number one singles followed, and their debut album Up All Night, which narrowly missed out on the coveted number one spot, charted at number two in UK charts. But it was the album’s success in the US, debuting at number one, that confirmed that the band’s quest for world domination was well and truly underway.

 one direction, x-factor winners

Step Two: Be Sociable

But what helped them be the first British band to have their debut album enter at number one in the US charts? Social media of course! The boys each have their own Twitter accounts as well as a joint one (@onedirection) which they use to communicate directly with devoted ‘directioners’. This social media hype stems back to when their record executives took to Twitter and Facebook to market the through a four-month, word-of-mouth campaign designed to build a firm international fan base before the boys even released a single in the US. And their gamble paid off, with singles sold before radio stations had even played the songs!

Step Three: Be Ambitious

One Direction’s second album went to No. 1 in both the UK and US, and they became the first boy-band in US chart history to achieve two No. 1 albums in one calendar year. Singles ‘Live While We’re Young’ and ‘Kiss You’ were released. Arena tours of the WHOLE world were drawn up and the boys were edging ever closer to total world domination. But things wouldn’t be complete without a movie right? Right. The boy’s This Is Us movie was released in August 2013 to rave reviews, topping the American and UK box offices.

one direction, kiss you

World Domination Complete

  • Number one singles AND albums = achieved

  • Screaming fans = assembled

  • Awards = won

  • A successful movie all about their life as a band = released

  • A new fragrance 'Our Moment' = launched

Phew! I’m too exhausted to pack for Canada, think I’m just gonna have to have a lie down and think of Louis!

Links

  • Catch up on all the latest One Direction news and gossip here 

  • Watch the official video for 'Kiss You' here 

  • Get all the latest celebrity gossip when you follow @FlameTreePop here 

Topics: Flame Tree Pop, Liam Payne, Simon Cowell, X-Factor winners, Harry Styles